Films Could Dominate Games For the Oculus Rift, Says VP

Nate Mitchell, Oculus' vice president for product, muses that the future of Oculus VR's virtual reality headset, the Oculus Rift, may lie in films, rather than games, as a consumer content delivery device.

"We've said from the beginning we're big gamers, and we started Oculus to deliver consumer VR and revolutionize games," Mitchell said during a presentation during CES 2015, LA Times reports. "But it may well end up being that VR is more about film than games."

However, he wasn’t ready to commit to that theory yet, adding, "but it's possible. We don't know what the killer app is.

"Obviously, it's way too early for a $50-million blockbuster VR film because there's no way to sell it to people yet," he said. "But I think in the next few years we'll get there. It's still early days. It's blue skies."

According to Mitchell, "pretty much all" Hollywood studios are investigating VR consumption. Oculus VR is also collaborating with developers within movies, video games and military simulation training.

Avatar director James Cameron proclaimed last October that, while some may be interested in the potential of virtual reality for the entertainment industry, he isn't particularly enthused.

Although Oculus VR only currently offers version two of its Rift developer kit, Mitchell estimated in October that future consumer models could range from $200-$400 USD. In October, Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe recognized that comfort is a factor in launching a consumer headset.

When we went hands on with Oculus’ latest prototype, Oculus Rift Crescent Bay, during CES 2015, it markedly raised our confidence in the technology.